The Salvation of Rhian Oran
by rhian.oran
Summary: Chapter one of the Salvation of Rhian Oran. In this chapter we meet Rhian Orand and her roommates, and stumble upon a mystery! Is Rhian Oran going to solve the puzzle?
1. Rhian Oran and the Floating Calcite

Rhian Oran and the Floating Calcite

Deliberately awoken by her chao, Enki, Rhian Oran arose from the warm shield of her duvet. Blinking slowly, the delicate strands of led lights dangling above her bed came into focus. She stretched her long legs, and feet snuggled in her fuzzy plush socks, and reached over to part the heavy macramé curtain she'd made to surround her bed last summer. With three roommates, Rhian Oran craved a private little cave of her own and had done her best to create one in her tiny room. Enki had bounced on her bed because it was apparently breakfast time. Rhian Oran slipped on her worn BTS hoodie, still stained from someone spilling their soda on her at the last concert. As she meandered through the open plan loft to the kitchenette, she thought of her plans for today. Even though she had lived in the loft for a while, work had kept her too busy to really make the place her own other than her bed. She thought of the job she'd recently been fired from, working in fast food hadn't been terribly exciting but at least it paid the bills. As much as she relished the thought of having a couple free days to look for a new job and finally set up her altar, the prospect of not getting an offer soon was anxiety inducing. She shook the thought from her mind and opened the fridge. Reaching for her favorites, she got ready to make a delicious vegan breakfast for two.

Enki of course ate mostly fruit, and since Rhian Oran was vegan that meant they could share most meals. She quickly washed the Vitamix on the counter which still contained the leftovers of Brix's green smoothie from her 5 am post workout. After a quick scrub with purified water and some thieves essential oil, Rhian Oran dropped in two cups of fresh berries from the nearby forest, a frozen banana, 2 tablespoons of freeze-dried organic acai powder, and a cup of oat milk. Pouring the acai mixture into two stoneware bowls, Rhian Oran topped them with some coconut shavings and made her way to the living room. What a generous way to describe this space in the loft, sparsely decorated but comfortable. The trio of roomies had collected an old electrical wire spool for a table and decoupaged it with old issues of Vogue and Cat Fancy. They paired this with a beanbag from Binx's old bedroom at her parent's place, and an armchair from the thrift store they all pitched in on. With only two chairs, they took turns sitting on the floor for dinner when all three of them were home. This was rare, these days, since Clea had taken a promotion from server to bartender at Seacrest once she turned 21. She was the oldest of the trio, Binx and Rhian Oran were both 19, but Binx was 7 months older than Rhian Oran. She sat Enki's bowl on the cement floor near the armchair, and as she slouched over her own bowl to eat the reflected on her decision to move to the city.

When she was younger, she dreamed of moving to Empire City. Binx moving here first with her cousin Clea made it easier, sure, but living in the city wasn't everything she thought it would be. From the outside, from the flyover cities, you could only see the glamour and bright lights in movies. Up close, the city can be scary, dark and dirty. Garbage piles lined certain streets, and everywhere you went you were invisible. With so many people here, you could almost float in between conversations and fights on the street like a ghost. Rhian Oran often found herself staring too long at a young couple sharing a Frappuccino, or a mother telling her child to stay closer to her. Once she realized her social faux pas, she shook the entrancement from her mind. She'd be lost in her own world, observing, learning, imagining their lives away from this moment. Does the mother always care for her daughter so much, or when they get home does she sink into her cell phone and ignore her toddler playing alone? Does the couple really love each other? Is this their first date or their thirtieth? Does she know he still has Tinder installed and just hidden in a secret folder? Does he know about her credit card debt? It was too personal, too presumptuous, she knew. She'd blink and realize the suppositions she had just made of these strangers, and for a moment she'd wonder if they knew. Could they tell she had been thinking of them? So she'd shake the whole thought away from her mind as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, even though nobody ever noticed how she'd stared. She was a slight girl, only 5' 2". Her shoes did nothing to enhance her height. With her mousy brown hair pulled into a braid, and overly casual band t-shirt and crocs, Rhian Oran was easy to overlook, even with her dusky purple fur. She wondered, "How long will I make it in the city? I have friends, I know, but I'm always alone. Is it because deep down that's what I want for myself?" Cleaning up the bowls from breakfast, Rhian Oran poured a cup of coffee from the chemex in the fridge. As she added her oat milk and stevia she realized she couldn't remember if this was iced coffee she'd made on purpose, or just old coffee she'd shoved in the fridge. She turned around too quickly from the kitchenette, her clumsy feet tripped on the braided rug she'd made from her old jeans. Just as the coffee threatened to spill from her mug onto the cement, she tilted the cup and saved it. She needed this coffee, last night had been a late one visiting Clea at Seacrest.

Even though Rhian Oran couldn't drink, she liked to visit and sample the kombucha on tap the trendy establishment brewed. Clea even named a flavor after her, and Binx too. There was Binxberry, blueberry and anise mixed to create a surprisingly milk brew that reminded them of booberry cereal and of course Oran-ge Dreams, after Rhian Oran. Pretty straightforward flavored of orange and turmeric, Rhian Oran actually didn't like orange, but the name was too perfect of a fit to not be used. Of course, the brews rotated out based on what the staff had been making, and last night actually Rhian Oran had enjoyed a beautiful hibiscus and blackberry kombucha, but also stayed out far too late. Seacrest is a chill spot, with too many manbuns and Birkenstocks to be honest, but Rhian Oran liked the familiarity of being a regular and having a connection with the staff, all Clea's friends. Binx worked at the flower shop just a block away too, so it was an easy place for the group to meet up. The bar had light snacks, all vegetarian but quite a few good vegan options mixed in. Binx had missed lunch yesterday, so they ordered the hummus tray as soon as they arrived. While Binx devoured the assorted veggies, Rhian Oran scanned the room.

She fell into a slight trance, dazed by the aesthetic of the club. She spotted a tall woman with warm brown fur, clad in a vintage brown jacket with leather fringe and torn black jean shorts. She adjusted the wide, round gold glasses on her foxlike nose as she made intense eye contact downward with a gray mouse. The mouse was much shorter than the fox, and so uniquely dressed in only pastels. Many of the customers here had a specific look they wore exclusively; Rhian Oran had always loved this idea but never followed through on it. She began writing the story of them inside her mind. Had they just met? No, she could tell from the way the mouse put her hand on the fox's arm, they knew each other. The fox had such a confident posture, leaning one arm on the counter, shoulders back, all her weight on one leg with her other crossed behind. She sipped on a large beer, likely a local craft brew. She smiled at the mouse, who bit her lip shyly. The fox tucked one of the mouse's rainbow dreadlocks behind her shoulder as the smaller woman blushed. Rhian Oran knew this was love, early love but still, a closeness she hadn't known she was missing. In this moment of intimacy, she suddenly knew why she had felt so alone in the city. There were no quiet moments here where she could feel her heart thumping in her chest. No eyes where she saw her future reflected before her. Not like it had been back in her hometown, it seemed there like anyone could be her forever love story. She realized she'd done it again, absorbed too personal of a moment that she didn't have permission to share. She quickly glanced away, scanning the room again in embarrassment to make sure no one had seen her being a creep. Then she saw Them. Perched on a high wire barstool in the corner, one leg curled up into their body, one hanging lankily down, looking right at her. She couldn't hide her surprise; she'd always been bad at that. She gasped a little in surprise, and quickly turned towards Binx. Reaching for a slice of cucumber, she glanced back, They were still looking. In an electric blue metallic jacket, and torn jeans, blonde fur which tapered into blue curls above Their eyes. With this quick glance she noticed They were sipping a kombucha slowly, still staring at her. She tugged the wrists of her sleeves over her hands further, and awkwardly started a conversation with Binx who had been scrolling through Tik Tok on her phone. The rest of the night had been uneventful, lots of dancing and a few board games. When the trio finally left the club, a few minutes after Clea closed up, Rhian Oran noticed Them again. Leaning on the wall of the bodega across from the bar, near a few people on skateboards and razer scooters loudly trash talking each other's tricks. They looked her up and down, staring at her again immediately. The girls walked away, and Rhian Oran said nothing, but glanced over her shoulder a couple more times as the trio made their way to the next block. They were still looking at her, watching her while sucking on a lollipop. Ignoring the skaters. Ignoring the world except for Rhian Oran. Someone had finally seen her, she hadn't gotten a good look at them, but she felt like she could feel their eyes seeing her soul laid bare in nothing more than a moment.

This morning, she hadn't remembered. That is until she went through her selfies from last night. Lazily scrolling for one to edit and post, she noticed Them in the background. "God that was so weird." She thought to herself. "I've never seen Them there before, maybe I just haven't noticed? No, I would've noticed them. Maybe They'll be there again next time." Why did she think that? Did she want to see them again? Wasn't it…creepy or something the way they watched her like a hungry animal? It should have been, but Rhian Oran wasn't afraid. She wanted to know more, she wanted to see if it would happen again. Putting her phone down, she decided it was time to start the day. Well, start what she could manage. Looking for a job would come later, she wasn't ready to deal with her resume and how to excuse what had happened at Fries and Shine. The next good choice, she thought, the next thing she could manage crossing off her list. From the high shelf on her closet she pulled down the aspirational box of wiccan altar supplies she had been collecting over the last year. She had fallen in love with the concept of paganism, and believed magick was fascinating enough that it's probability didn't need to be considered. Either her spells and incantations would work clearly, and she would be blessed with a new enlightenment, or she had a fun hobby to occupy her time. She was missing a few things, a cauldron of course, that seemed like too much of an investment for a beginner. Also, a wand, that seemed like such an important choice that it should be searched for with intention, not just bought from the combo pagan supply/head shop around the corner. She lifted the lid of the croc box, the same one her shoes had come in, and pulled out a few of the supplies.

Upon a small thrifted end table made from cheap yellow pressboard, she spread an emerald fringed scarf with a vaguely Celtic symbol printed across the center. After arranging the edges to drape perfectly off the oval table edge, she lined up three candles along the rear of the surface, one tall candle stick in the center and two mismatched votives on either side. Between, she laid down a small abalone shell, her favorite purchase for the altar. There was a small corked bottle (waiting to be filled with kosher salt from the kitchen), an incense holder and a couple sticks of cheap incense, and a small athame. She placed these last few items on the table, thinking to herself that the athame was lame, it was really just a knife she bought at a carnival from a sketchy booth, but the adonized blade made it look like it belonged on a ritual table. She turned to get the small pouch of crystals she'd picked up over the last few months, and to her surprise she saw a single selenite crystal floating right in front of her face! She'd been thinking of that one, the first she picked up because of its beautiful sunny color. As she gasped in surprise it clattered, falling back in the box. She looked inside, and saw it laying there, next to the now open pouch. She picked it up gingerly in her fingers, inspecting it closely. What just happened? As she thought about the stone floating midair, and pondered how such a thing could happen, she noticed blurry movement in her peripheral vision. Looking up again, she saw a scattering of stones in the air! The bag too, as if some unknown force had dumped it out on an invisible table. She shrieked and scooted back in shock, bumping the table and knocking the tall candle onto the floor with a clatter. She started panting, confused and afraid, as the stones all dropped to the ground in an instant. What was going on? She heard the front door, and the metallic clink of keys falling the bowl by the door. "Rhian Oran?" Binx yelled "Hey you wanna go to the store? I found a new recipe I want to try but we're out of mushrooms." As the voice got nearer, Binx pushed open the door and saw Rhian Oran crumpled near the window. "Jesus, what happened?" she said, dropping her backpack on the floor and stepping gingerly over the scattered stones. "I-I don't even know I was just…it's stupid, I don't know what happened." Rhian Oran stammered. "I just, it looked like the crystals were…. flying? I don't know." "Wait what?" Binx replied, hugging Rhian Oran who clearly was still shaken. "What do you mean flying? Did you throw them or something?" "No, I didn't I just, yeah I don't know. I just…. you said the store? You want to go to the store?" "Well yeah, but not if you're not okay, we can stay here. Its fine!" "No, no it's okay, I'm okay, let's just, I just want to go…somewhere else." They both carefully stepped over the pile of stones, Rhian looked back over her shoulder at them, then headed for the front door. The door shut behind them unnoticed, even though neither had touched it.


	2. Endings and Beginnings for Rhian Oran

Endings and Beginnings for Rhian Oran

Kyra's Beans and Greens was unusually busy for a Sunday morning. In this part of town, people were usually too hungover to make sure they get the early bird specials on kale and wheatgrass shooters. Binx tossed their reusable shopping bags into a nearby cart and wheeled into the automatic doors. Once inside, Binx started tossing an assortment of produce into the basket and finally asked Rhian Oran about what shook her up so much. "Hey so, you seemed really stressed out earlier." She said. "I don't really want to talk about it…here." Rhian Oran replied, knocking on a honeydew approvingly before adding it to their other items. "Well, we can talk about it later, but I guess what I really need to know is are you okay?" pushed Binx, turning to the next aisle, filled with granola and muesli. "Yeah, I mean I think so. It just, scared me. The…thing that happened." Rhian Oran sighed, crossing her arms and avoiding eye contact. "Okay but I don't want you to be scared in our home, you know? So, if something happened I want you to tell me." Binx urged, reaching on tip toes for the roommate's favorite granola bag. Rhian Oran heard a shuffle behind her and turned out of instinct. There They were, here! Again! "Yeah, yeah I will tell you. Later. I promise." Rhian Oran urged, taking hold or the cart and rushing out of the aisle. She hurried to collect their other shopping, confusing Binx. "Rhian Oran are you sure you're okay? You're being so weird!" Binx said a little too loud, while Rhian Oran tossed in veggie burger patties, oat milk, and nooch. "Yeah I'm fine I just, don't want to leave Enki alone. I've got a lot to get done." She blurted out, suddenly they were at the cashier.

"Heyyyy how's it going ladies?" he said, through a sleazy smile and lip ring. This is Cascade, he frequented Seacrest always trying to get Clea to play his "fire mixtape". Nobody knows his real name; he only goes by his DJ name. Clea said he's been working at the grocery store as long as she can remember, but just got promoted to cashier from bag boy last month. "Total burnout," says Clea "he's lucky his mom still pays his phone bill, or he'd never make it in the city." Rhian Oran coughed, "Hi Cascade, we're kind of in a rush. She scanned the store again, They were in the toiletries aisle but not looking at her this time. "Okay yeah sure, we're all in a hurry huh? That's capitalism I guess, no time to just slow down and talk like normal people, always somewhere to be." Cascade rambled, ringing up their purchases. As he reached for a plastic sack Binx jumped in "Oh no, we have these! Rhian Oran crocheted them; aren't they cool?" "Woah yeah I love these!" Cascade exclaimed, pushing his moplike hair away from his eyes, "Hey Rhian Oran you think you could make me a couple? I can't like, pay you but-" Rhian Oran cut him off, "Yeah sure, no problem. I'll bring them, how much is it?" she interrupted, reaching for her purse. Binx saved the day again "Oh uh, I've got it." "Wow yeah uh, okay," Cascade said, "Well it's $37.19, sorry I didn't know you were in a rush so much." "Yeah," said Binx as she handed him the money, "I didn't either." Rhian Oran led the way out of the shop, taking one more look over her shoulder. They were gone. "Okay dude, seriously WHAT is with you today?" Binx shouted, holding a hand up to stop Rhian Oran.

Rhian Oran gasped and looked around panicked, They weren't around. "Okay, come on." She sighed, pulling Binx into a nearby alley. "Listen, okay the past couple days have been…I don't know. Wrong. First, at Seacrest. Someone was looking at me." "So what?" said Binx, "People look at people that doesn't explain-" "They were looking at me all night!" Rhian Oran interrupted, "Like, outside too, and then they were at the store just now too." "Oh wow, so you have like a stalker? What the hell?! What does he look like?" Binx shouted, dropping the grocery bags. "Well I don't know if They're a he, I guess, but that's not the only thing. So today, before you got home, I was putting up that altar I told you about right? And some of the crystals…flew up." Rhian Oran added, nervously. "What do you mean flew up? Like got knocked over?" "No, like they were just hovering in front of me!" "What the…" Binx gasped, when suddenly a huge wave of water splashed them from the gutter, as a truck sped by. "YUCK!" Binx shouted, shaking her arms. "DISGUSTING! I don't even, I just -sigh- can we just go home dude?" "Yeah," assured Rhian Oran, picking up the bags of wet groceries from the ground "yeah let's just go home, we can talk more there."

The sky had darkened, and the large paned window of the loft shone brightly with the lights of Emerald City. "So, what did They look like?" Clea said, placing a large salad bowl in the center of the table. "Uhm, They had a shiny blue jacket, and yellow and blue hair. I don't know I guess I looked away from Them as soon as I noticed." Rhian Oran answered, seated on the floor petting Enki in her lap. "Okay the person is gonna get their butt kicked if we ever see them again," Binx said, stomping in while towel drying her hair after a shower, "But what about the stupid rock thing? They were flying?" "I mean I guess? I don't know what else to call it." Rhian Oran mused. "Is the house haunted? Like did someone die here before we moved in?" Binx asked, sliding into a chair "Just my ex-boyfriend!" Clea laughed, setting down a large pasta bowl and serving herself, "I'm kidding, obviously, but no I don't think the apartment is haunted. What if it's like…a power?" Rhian Oran gasped "No, no people who have powers, those show up way earlier, not when they're like grown up." She set Enki down and stood to make a plate of the creamy mushroom rotini Clea had put together from the salvageable groceries. "I don't have powers, it's too late." "I don't know dude, maybe? But what else would cause that?" Asked Binx, munching on her salad. "Did you try to do it again? "Well no! I don't think I even did it!" "Try it! Move this spoon!" Binx shouted holding a spoon in the air. "No that's stupid! I don't have a power!" Rhian protested. "Just try it! We gotta find out!" Binx added, putting the spoon on the table in front of Rhian. "Oh my god, if it will shut you up fine." Rhian Oran said, sitting on the ground eye level with the spoon. She stared, unblinking, intensely concentrating. She felt a little lightheaded even, from trying so hard to make this spoon move, until finally releasing her breath "There! See? Nothing happened!" she shouted, picking up her pasta and shoveling a mouthful in. "Fiiiine, I guess it's a ghost then! Can we go to the thrift store and get a Ouija board?" Binx begged, never deterred from an exciting idea. "Actually, I may have one. Remember that goth guy I dated?" said Clea through a mouthful of romaine.

"I'm glad it's nothing," Rhian Oran sighed, "I don't want powers at 19, that would be so embarrassing. Like getting acne." "WOW Rhian Oran, LIKE THIS ACNE?! THANKS!" Binx shouted, pointing at a small reddish bump near her chin. "Oh my gosh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Rhian Oran frantically apologized. "Geez, calm down! I'm totally kidding!" Said Binx, shoveling down the rest of her salad, "Okay, well I'm going for a run. Anybody else?" She said as she laced up her sneakers, knowing the other two girls wouldn't run if they were being paid to, "No? No takers? Alright, hold the floor down for me while I'm gone I guess." Binx added, slamming the door behind her. "You know," said Clea, scooping up her and Binx's dishes, "Sometimes people with powers can be late bloomers. We have a cousin Jackson who didn't know he had super strength until he was 21. He got in a bar fight and punched a dude straight into the wall! He just hadn't ever had a reason to punch someone before, you know?" "Wow, that's wild! But no, I would know if I didn't. I think. Maybe I was just like…seeing things?" Rhian shrugged, putting away the leftovers. "Well I'd be more worried about you seeing things than if we had a ghost. If it happens again, will you tell us? Like right away?" Clea asked, gently touching Rhian's wrist. Rhian Oran looked up, "Yeah, I will. I promise." She said and leaned over to give Clea a little hug. They'd known each other a long time, but it really felt like in the last year Clea started seeing Rhian Oran as family. She was always working so hard to make sure the younger girls found their way in the city. She even got Rhian Oran the job at Fries and Shine and called to cuss out Rhian Oran's manager when she'd been fired. Rhian Oran was fired for a valid reason, but the manager was another one of Clea's exes and she was really just looking for a reason to cuss him out. Rhian Oran thanked Clea for dinner and headed to her room.

She pulled out an old laptop and opened the document titled . She stared absentmindedly at the screen, focusing in on the little bar blinking in and out after Reason for leaving last employer: _. How would you even start? That day was such a disaster. It was the third week in a row with the orange juice slushie machine being busted. She was taking it apart to clean every piece, hoping to find a clog when, well find a clog she did. As soon as she pulled out the hose that fed into the nozzle, weeks old juice poured out onto her, the counter, and the floor of the food court. With a giant gasp she drew the attention of everyone sitting in the nearby area, just in time for them to see a pregnant mother slip on the sludgy mess and fall to the floor clutching a gift bag of chocolates which exploded everywhere. As if it couldn't get worse, when Rhian Oran was helping the woman stand up, she sneezed straight into her face, spraying spittle everywhere. There was no apology in the world big enough, and honestly a clumsy accident isn't enough on its own to get fired from. Then again, there was the reason Rhian Oran had been stuck unclogging the broken slushy machine anyway.

It all started when she dropped a case of eggs on the floor. Fries and Shine's specialty is breakfast food, with crispy golden French fries as a central ingredient. You need the breakfast part too though and losing an entire case of eggs meant they had to close up early for the day. In addition to the lost business, Rhian Oran had been miscounting tax, and got demoted from cashier to kitchen staff. The last straw was truly what happened right after the slushy incident. She cleaned the entire floor, replaced the cost of the chocolates for the expecting mother out of her own paycheck, and had begin to clean the machine. Well, there at the top of the entry hose was a big, gummy, black blob. Right there on the countertop, Rhian Oran fished it out with her fingers and screamed at the top of her lungs! Hurling it at the floor she shouted, "It's a roach!" There, in the middle of the food court, she had splatted a cockroach that had been clogging their drink filter for god knows how long, and then screamed to make sure everyone knew. After every business in the food court spent an hour refunding customers disgusted by the idea of an infested restaurant making their lunch, Rhian Oran was pulled into a back office. Her manager let her know it was time to leave, and they'd mail her the last paycheck she could expect from them. No amount of tears could change the outcome, not even the ones welling up in her eyes now as she sat staring at her resume. She slapped the laptop shut and stood from the bed abruptly, wiping her eyes on her shirtsleeve.

Rhian Oran stomped a little too hard over to the area of her room where the altar was, she scooped up the crystals and dumped them in the bag that had held them before. The last one she went to pick up was the citrine that started it all. With a frown she slumped to the floor. Turning the small stone in her hand, Rhian Oran wondered if Clea was right. Maybe she was just a late bloomer. She rolled her eyes, dismissing the idea, but then…then she sat the citrine on the table in front of her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Remembering the guided meditation videos she'd look up on YouTube sometimes, she eased her breath. She focused her intentions on connecting with the floor below her, sturdy and steady, like a tree rooted directly into the earth. This is how intense her connection was with the universe. All parts were one, she repeated to herself, I am the universe, just as the universe is a reflection of me. Breath in. Breath out. Rhian Oran thought about floating. The crystals floating. The bag floating. The concept of floating. Delicately, she allowed her eyes to open, it was floating again! The citrine! Hovering in the air, far away from the table. Actually, between her and the table. Between her and…her? Rhian Oran panicked a little, looking around she saw she was floating near the ceiling, but she also…wasn't! She was sitting on the floor, same as she remembered, breathing deeply. Rhian looked at her hands, they were a rainbow of colors, the rest of her was too, but translucent, like a ghost. She opened her mouth to scream, and then snapped back into her body. In a panic she stood upright, screaming and putting her hands all over her face and legs and stomach, just to check if she was all there. Clea burst into her room first, then Binx pulling out her headphones from her run. "Are you okay? Oh my god!" Clea shouted, just in time to catch Rhian from falling all the way to the floor as she fainted.


	3. Pearls of Boba and Wisdom for Rhian Oran

Pearls of Boba and Wisdom for Rhian Oran

The trio sat in the living room, Rhian Oran in the blue armchair clutching a chipped mug of chamomile tea with agave nectar and wrapped in a fleece blanket. Enki was perched on the back of the chair, preoccupied with concern for Rhian Oran. "Are you really okay? I know it wasn't a long fall but…Jesus how did you even get up there?" asked Clea, soothingly. "Like I know? I just, closed my eyes and tried to calm down, I was meditating, and then all of the sudden I saw…God it's so weird…" shuddered Rhian Oran, still shaken by everything. "What? You saw what? That stalker?" asked Binx, rushing forward towards her friend. "No, no. Okay…you're going to think I'm nuts." Said Rhian Oran, nervously, "but I guess this week has been crazy already so…I floated up, and I saw myself? Like where I was sitting, on the ground. Then…I looked around, and I saw like me, the up me, but I was all see through, and patterny? With colors and shapes. I don't even….I don't know dude. I don't know what that is." Rhian Oran looked up, making eye contact with Binx and Clea. She waited for them to say she needs to be hospitalized. Binx looked shocked and confused, but Clea was calm as always. "I might know what that is, actually." Clea said, gently setting down her teacup and striding over to the bookshelf near the window. She returned with a small, gray paperback. It was old and worn, with cracks in the spine and folded pages. The cover had a strange picture of a translucent person hovering in space, below the title "Astral Projection and You". "Astral Projection? What kind of hippie nonsense is this?" said Binx accusingly, always wary of Clea's obsession with the paranormal. "It's not nonsense. Many people study for decades to do what Rhian Oran did tonight. I think you should just read this, and we can talk about it later. It's a hard concept to explain, but the book can do it better than I can." Assured Clea, gently pushing the book into Rhian Oran's lap. "I think for tonight though, you should just rest. We should too, it's nearly midnight! Don't you need to go to work early tomorrow anyway Binxie?" Clea added, turning to her cousin. "Don't call me that! I'm not a baby. And yeah, I do, good night Rhian Oran. Shout if you need anything okay?" Binx said with a hug and a hop down the hallway. Clea left too, but not before giving Rhian Oran a gentle pat on the shoulder. Alone in the living room, Rhian Oran stood clutching the book, still wrapped in her fleece blanket. As Enki followed, she poured her teacup out into the sink, refilled the chao's water dish, and made her way in the dark hallway to her room.

Closing the door behind her, Rhian Oran placed the book on the nightstand and shut off the lamp. She tried to close her eyes, tried to shut out the noise in her head, but after what felt like hours of fretless twisting and turning, she reached over for the light next to her. She'd read on Buzzfeed or something that when you can't sleep it's better to try and do a quiet activity, and god knows she wasn't sleeping. So many questions spinning in her brain. How did she fly? Was that what that was, flying? What about the other day, the crystal thing? Was that the same? Does it have to do with…that person? Why can't things be normal? When will things be normal again? Maybe never. She remembered, for a second, she was still unemployed. Ugh, push it away. With everything going on, she wasn't going to lose time thinking about that. An activity, what's a quiet activity. She scanned her room, a pile of yarn topped with a partially knitted scarf was resting in a chair. No, not that. It's a complex pattern of waves and ripples, that's too hard right now. A movie? No, the blue light isn't good at nighttime. Scanning still, her eyes fell on the book. "Astral Projection and You". Well, maybe she could at least answer a question or two, maybe that would help her find her way to a restful night. Gingerly, Rhian Oran picked up the cheap paperback, and opened it up to chapter one. Inside she first found an anecdote from the author on the history of astral projection. Apparently this was something even the U.S. Military had experimented with during the Cold War! As she read further, she found the general principle is that one's consciousness is the true living entity, separate from the body. Once you learn that all consciousness is linked, you can remove yours from being bound to just your physical form, you're free to travel to all other connection points of consciousness as a free-floating entity. So…. what? That doesn't answer anything. Sure, Rhian Oran had been meditating on the concept of connectedness, but that can't be enough on its own to accidentally project your consciousness out of your body. Can it? No, Binx was right, this is hippie nonsense. Rhian Oran shoved the book in a drawer and rolled over. She traced around the tiny bumps on the wall for what felt like forever, until finally sleep overtook the turbulence in her subconscious.

The next time she opened her eyes, it was light out. Rolling over, Rhian Oran glanced at her alarm clock. 11:45, half the day gone. That was fine with her, every new day meant new pressure. It was a new obligation to get her life together. Need a new job, need to make rent, need to be an adult. It all felt so impossible. Rhian Oran shuffled to the kitchen and put together a quick fruit salad for her and Enki, scooping a small portion into the chao's little bowl. While her coffee brewed, Rhian Oran retrieved her laptop from the bedroom and pulled open some job listings. She quickly edited her resume to say, "Reason left position: differences in management styles." This seemed the quickest way to explain away the embarrassing departure from her last position. It was true, in a way. Their managing style was to manage things…Rhian Oran was mismanaging life in every way possible. The listings didn't seem…promising. "Lead Cashier/Keyholder, 5 years management experience necessary $8/hr." said one, what a joke! "Internship, $15/hr." said a second one, a promising start followed by "Note: This will be a reverse-paid internship, meaning you pay $15 pe hour in exchange for experience from a widely recognized industry leader." What in Karl Marx is this?! Finally, on page three Rhian Oran landed on something that looked like a good fit. "Stocker/Bagger Nights and Weekends, $12/hour at Kyra's B&G" Oh, it must be Cascade's old position. Well if they hired him, they'd have to hire her! Rhian shot off her application and made a mental note to call in after a couple days to make sure they received it. Clea always said this was a good way to get noticed. She stood with a quick stretch and took her dishes to the kitchen before giving them a little rinse in the sink. After a shower it was time to get on with the day, well what was left of it. Shuffling through her wallet, Rhian decided she had enough money to pick up an afternoon latte from the coffee shop downtown. It was right between Binx and Clea's workplaces, so she could stop in to visit them. Binx would for sure be towards thee end of her shift at Egg Plants, but Clea might not even be at work yet. She wasn't here though, and Rhian Oran had questions for her after the late night reading she had done, so it was worth taking a chance and dropping into Seacrest.

She got dressed in a fuzzy pullover, it was a bit of a dreary day. The sun was out, but it was chilly and rainy. Orphan's tears, Rhian Oran had heard this type of rain called. She slipped on her boots and grabbed an umbrella before locking the door on her way out. A sweater was the right call, even her fingers were chilled through her gloves in this weather. Rhian pulled her phone and a pair of earbuds from her messenger bag and plugged the cord into the port. Scrolling through playlists, she selected BTS's latest album Face Yourself. Listening to Jimin and the others, Rhian Oran let her mind drift as she wandered the city. She genuinely adored living here, the wet pavement shined like silver ahead of her and the neon lights of all the shops looked like pastel and dayglow stars hanging in the now-darkened sky. Clouds had rolled in, no more orphan tears here, only regular tears. No, shake that thought away. We're having a good day, no crying, on our way to get yummy coffee and see kind friends. Rhian Oran snuggled her arms in even closer, now holding herself tightly to brace against the heavier droplets of water. The umbrella was unhelpful now against the wind blowing the rain towards her. The muted color palette of the city as somehow even more romantic, Rhian Oran thought. The deep gray of the cement and asphalt, the rusty beige of the buildings, and the cobalt of the cloudy sly. The world finally felt as turbulent as her life had lately. On her left was a small corner suite with a minimalist sign hanging over the light wood exterior. The sign read "Armand's", though the owner was rarely in. Rhian Oran hoped a little that she would see her favorite barista Mina today. Mina was the cutest, always smiling just enough to maybe be perceived as kind, or a little flirtatious. Rhian Oran pulled her hood up as she closed the umbrella, and swiftly rushed to open the door. The café was lonely, even on this chilly day only a few patrons were scattered around. Some hunched over their coffee cups, leeching warmth through the paper. Others clearly enraptured with their laptops, buried in tasks. Rhian Oran jabbed her wet umbrella in the black metal stand near the door and attempted to shake off her wet shoes before making her way to the counter. Just as she was reaching to ring the small silver bell on the register, Mina appeared from the back room carrying a small stack of mochi boxes to display under the glass cover of the counter. "Oh hey! How's it going?" she smiled at Rhian Oran, before adorably stumbling a little and placing the boxes on the back counter. "What can I get you?" Rhian blushed and hoped Mina hadn't noticed, averting her gaze she saw a small chalkboard proclaiming "NEW! Boba Tea" accompanied by a little doodle of a smiling cup of pink liquid. "Oh, you guys have boba now? What flavors?" Rhian Oran asked eagerly. "Strawberry, Mango and Milk Tea. The first two are vegan, I can see if I can make the third one vegan too. They all have just tapioca boba, but if this takes off we can get more kinds! I'm really excited, it was my idea!" Mina beamed. "Oh, strawberry sounds great! I'll just get a small though." Rhian Oran said, thinking of her light wallet. "Oh shoot," said Mina "I'm really in the mood to make a large. I guess you'll just have to put up with me giving you extra." She smiled with a wink and turned to make the drink. "Oh geez, well thanks!" Rhian laughed, turning away quickly before she ruined the moment.

She found a seat near the large window; this spot was colder but also had the best view of course. Today wasn't a great day for people watching, Rhian Oran wanted to be alone for a while. Returning to her phone, she lazily checked social media until Mina returned with a tall cup filled with pink tea, milky white boba and a large pink straw. "I know you usually prefer it without a straw, but for the boba you kind of need it." Mina said with a smile "Stay warm out there!" she added before heading back to arrange the mochi for display. Rhian Oran tucked away her phone and earbuds in her purse again, then picked up the drink and her umbrella to head across the street to Egg Plants. Binx would be there, "I should have gotten her something." Rhian thought, before realizing she wouldn't have been able to AFFORD IT ANYWAY. Hopefully Kyra's Beans and Greens would call her for an interview. Maybe it would be Kyra herself? Was there a Kyra? Rhian was unsure and thought about it just long enough to rush across in the now pouring rain and ring the bell on the doorway of the small flower shop. "Hell, how can I—oh it's you!" Binx said excitedly, turning the corner from a display of baby's breath she had been arranging. "Ooh what did you bring me?" She said excitedly, reaching for the strawberry boba tea. "Yeah, sorry I couldn't get two! It's boba tea from Armand's!" Rhian Oran said, looking around the shop absentmindedly while handing over the sweet drink. "Ooh looks like it came with a free gift!" said Binx, turning the cup to show Rhian Oran where a phone number had been scribbled in marker on the cup, along with a small heart. Rhian Oran blushed, "Oh my god, I didn't even see that." She whispered embarrassed. "Were they cute? Was it Mina?" Binx asked excitedly. "Yeah, it was. Wow I thought maybe but…wow." Rhian answered, clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. Realizing her friend was entirely unprepared for this conversation, Binx led her to her counter and changed the topic. "Well you're not my only visitor here today! You just missed Clea, she was running some errands I guess. She said the thing that happened yesterday, you…floating or whatever? That made her think of some other books you could read. I think she was going to Merle's Pearls."

"Well, I'm glad she has any idea what happened because I sure don't." replied Rhian Oran, poking at a fuzzy looking bloom gently, "I wish she wouldn't go to that stupid place though. She's the only customer who isn't going there for stoner junk." Merle's Pearls (of Wisdom) was the local pagan supply and head shop. It was a dingy little hole in the wall, decorated by as many psychedelic banners and posters as a single person could fit into one room. The sign really said that too, "MERLE'S PEARLS" in huge letters and then "of wisdom" underneath, much smaller. Who knows why? A mystery for the ages I guess. "Yeah she probably is, I don't know, you shop there too right?" Binx answered back, already sucking air through the large straw of the boba cup. "I mean yeah, but only because Clea told me that's the best place. I really should see if there's anywhere else near here." Rhian Oran said, "Hey, how much longer is your shift?" she added. "I put in an application for Kyra's today, I kind of want to go check on it." "Well shouldn't you wait? Like even a day?" Binx said tossing the empty cup into the garbage. "Yeah I know, I'm just…nervous. I really need a job." Rhian answered, fishing the cup back out of the plastic bin. "You just threw away my soulmate!" she teased, pointing to Mina's number. "Oh shoot, I'm sorry! Well, that'll be a good story for your wedding!" Binx laughed, "Actually I'm off in 20 minutes, do you want to just hang out?" "No, that's okay," said Rhian Oran, "You said Clea is at Merle's, I might try to catch her there. Want to just meet up at Kyra's? Text me when you leave?" "Yah okay, that sounds good! Are you gonna…carry an empty cup around for the rest of the day?" Binx asked, "I could give you a bag for it.?" "Okay yeah." answered Rhian, handing the cup back to Binx as a customer walked in. Binx gently tucked it into a paper sack, "Thank you for your purchase ma'am! Visit us again soon!" she teased as Rhian Oran left with her garbage bagged up. Opening her umbrella again, Rhian set off on her trek a block away to Merle's Pearls, hopefully she would find some wisdom there.


End file.
